Australia coach Katrina Powells admits the heat is on as the Hockeyroos begin their challenging journey towards the Paris Olympics with an intriguing clash with China on Friday night.
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Powell will pit her wits against fellow Australian hockey legends, former teammate Alyson Annan and Ric Charlesworth in the opening game of the six-match Pro League series in Sydney.
Charlesworth famously coached the Hockeyroos - including roommates Powell and Annan - to back-to-back Olympic gold medals in 1996 and 2000.
Now the 71-year-old has teamed up with Annan to form a formidable coaching combination for an emerging Chinese team with big ambitions of their own.
Powell on Thursday acknowledged how "super exciting" it was to be going up against Annan and Charlesworth but was more focused on the bigger picture of building a squad capable of firstly qualifying for Paris 2024 and then ultimately contending for Games glory once again.
The Hockeyroos haven't won an Olympic medal of any colour since the halcyon days of Sydney 2000 and must beat New Zealand in New Zealand in a three-match Oceania Cup series in August just to make next year's Games.
They weren't able to do so in Australia four years ago and were instead forced to survive a second three-match series against Russia to qualify for Tokyo.
Powell is eager for the Hockeyroos to avoid enduring such a gruelling pathway to Paris and plans to use the Pro League series - which also features Germany - to settle on a squad with the skill and nerve to compete with the heavyweights on the sport's biggest stage in 2024.
As such, Powell said the Hockeyroos were preparing for the crucial trans-Tasman qualifiers as a "process" rather than the cut-throat series it really will be.
"But we need an outcome," she told AAP.
"So that pressure is on the group regularly. And if you're struggling under that pressure, then you're going to struggle at the Olympics as well.
"So it's actually a really good process to go through in terms of needing an outcome and it being very serious competition (for spots)."
If they make it, Australia can only take 18 players to the Paris Games but Powell says 29 players are presently in the frame for selection.
"We're definitely going to use the Pro League to make sure we mould the right squad towards Paris," the coach said.
"We've also got players just outside our group that are knocking on the door as well so we're going to give as many people as possible the opportunity to show what they can do."
The Hockeyroos haven't played an international since claiming a bronze medal at last year's World Cup in Europe, then snaring silver at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham last August.
"We had quite a successful year when you look at it from that perspective but actually we're still a level behind the top countries," Powell said.
"We didn't make the final at the World Cup and that's certainly what we're aiming to regularly and consistently do - make the final in every tournament.
"So we've still got some work to do but I think we've got the group and the talent with which to do it."
Australian Associated Press
